(India Today Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
Set up in 1959, the institute started life in a single room in the canteen of the Agricultural Gardens in Kanpur. Today it boasts of a 1,000-acre campus, 5,400 students and plans to open an extension branch in Noida for outreach programmes.

Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT), Delhi
Surrounded by lush greenery, the beautiful IIT Delhi campus is home to 13 hostels, shopping malls, its own water and electric supply and 11 multi-disciplinary centres. The institute is also set to open a second campus in Sonipat to conduct executive MBA and faculty development programmes.

Indian Institute Of Technology(IIT), Kharagpur
The first of 15 IITs set up by the Government of India, the institute grew around the once infamous Hijli detention camp in Kharagpur. Today it is home to one of the largest science and technology library in Asia with a collection of 3.8 lakh documents, 1,250 print journals and 40,000 ebooks.

Indian Institute Of Technology, Roorkee
Established as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1853, the institute was converted into the country's seventh IIT in 2001. Over the years its illustrious alumni has won the Padma Bhushan ten times, the Padma Vibhushan twice and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 25 times.

Indian Institute Of Technology(IIT), Madras
Interestingly nearly half of the 620-acre campus is a protected forest, home to a wide variety of spotted deer, black buck, toddy cats, 40 species of butterflies and over a 100 different types of birds. It is by the far the most environment-conscious technical institute in the country.

Birla Institute Of Technology And Science (BITS, PILANI), Pilani
One of the two privately-backed institutes to make it to the top ten list, BITS Pilani is not just known for its stellar academic record but also for its many cultural fests. Oasis, the music fest held at the institute, in particular has a strong student following from across the country.

Indian Institute Of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT, BHU), Varanasi
Built on the banks of the Ganges, IIT BHU was originally set up in 1919 but officially became an IIT only two years ago in 2012. The original institute was formed with the merging of three faculties of the Banaras Hindu University - Banaras Engineering College, College of Mining and Metallurgy and College of Technology.

Vellore Institute Of Technology(VIT), Vellore
The youngest university to make it to the top ten list, VIT already boasts of three campuses in Vellore, Chennai and Bangalore. Originally set up as the Vellore Engineering College by G. Viswanathan, the Vellore campus is home to students from over 25 different nationalities today.

Delhi Technological University, Delhi
The oldest engineering college in Delhi, DTU was established as early as 1941 as Delhi Polytechnic. It later became known as the Delhi College of Engineering before gaining State University status in 2009.

Indian Institute Of Technology(IIT), Guwahati
The sixth IIT to have been established in the country, IIT Guwahati is the only Indian institute to have been ranked by the Times Higher Education's global 100 under 50 survey this year.

SRM Engineering College, SRM University, Kattankulathur
One of the fastest growing universities in the country, SRM University already has four operational branches in Tamil Nadu at Kattankulathur, Ramapuram, Vadapalani and Tiruchirapalli as well as a campus in Delhi's Modinagar. It now has plans to expand to Sonipat in Haryana and Gangtok in Sikkim.

National Institute Of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka
The beautiful 265-acre campus is the only one in the country to have a national highway running right through its middle. Located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, the campus also has its own private beach and lighthouse.

National Institute Of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
One of the 30 NITs of India, NITT is one of the few technical institutes to currently gain funding through the World Bank-led Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme.

PSG College Of Technology, Coimbatore
Affiliated to Anna University, this is the only college in India to have an industry attached to its campus. The PSG Industrial Institute is not only located next to the campus but has nurtured the college since its inception through the PSG & Sons Charities Trust.

Government College Of Engineering (COEP),Pune
Founded in 1851, this is one of the oldest engineering colleges in the entire country. It is also the third oldest engineering college in Asia. Interestingly it is the only college campus to be located at the confluence of two major rivers, the Mula and Mutha.

Netaji Subhas Institute Of Technology, Delhi
Granted university status only last year, this institute was originally set up in 1983. A proposed science and technology park is in the process of being set up at the college as part of the government's plan to establish Delhi as a knowledge hub.

National Institute Of Technology, Warangal
The very first Regional Engineering College (REC) to be set up by the Government in 1959, the college was renamed an NIT in 2002. Today it is one of the few NITs to boast of 12 European affiliations and seven partnerships with Indian institutes.

M.S Ramaiah Institute Of Technology, Bangalore
Industry partnerships with Intel, IBM, JSW Steel, Cognizant and Nokia, make this college a popular undergraduate destination in Bangalore. The institute is also known for developing India's first unmanned vehicle with an autopilot system.

National Institute Of Technology, Kurukshetra
Located only 168 kms from Delhi, this NIT is frequented by a large number of companies from the capital during placement week. Yahoo, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Deloitte and Facebook are some of the major businesses to have hired graduates from this college.

Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI, Mumbai), Mumbai
The society of robotics and automation at VJTI is one of the most prominent college robotic networks in the country. The society won the prize for the most economical robot at the Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ROBOCON) in 2011.

National Institute Of Technology, Calicut
One of the few Indian colleges to host its very own supercomputer, NIT Calicut has steadily been improving its reputation over the years. Today its annual intake is over 1000 students, a sharp increase from just 570 in 2007.

Thapar Institute Of Engineering And Technology, Patiala
The institute's Fateh Formula Racing Team has long been a part of the Formula SAE collegiate design series, a competition sanctioned by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Each year the team comes up with a newer design and upgrade for Formula SAE.

International Institute Of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad
Set up in 1997, Raj Reddy, the only Indian to the win the prestigious Turing Award, recently became the chairman of the board of governors at this fast-growing IIIT.

Indian Institute Of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad
The 100-acre campus located on the outskirts of Allahabad was designed by renowned mathematician Roger Pensore. It is home to a series of state-of-the-art labs such as the artificial intelligence lab, digital electronics lab, fiber optics lab, microwave lab, universal digital lab and embedded systems lab.

K.J. Somaiya College Of Engineering, Mumbai
Symphony, the inter-collegiate cultural fest of KJSCE has quickly gained popularity as one of the largest student gatherings in Mumbai. It draws footfalls of nearby 20,000 undergraduate students every year who come to enjoy the various contests and performances at the event.